


Unexpected

by aggiepuff, Whedonista93



Series: Speak Now [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, F/M, kinda angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 00:51:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20898926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aggiepuff/pseuds/aggiepuff, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whedonista93/pseuds/Whedonista93
Summary: When Katara turns, the last person she expects to be there is the one facing her.





	Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct continuation of Speak Now, so if you haven't read that, go do that first. :)
> 
> Also, the wonderful aggiepuff   
is a co-writer on this, but, full disclosure, I am drunk posting and I can't remember the new co-creator policy, soooooo... I'll fix it tomorrow

“Katara…”

Of all the voices that could have sounded behind her, that was  _ not _ the voice Katara expected to hear. She whirled. “Mai?!”

Mai’s lips twitched.

“What are you doing out here?! You’re supposed to be getting married!”

Mai shrugged. “And you’re supposed to be sitting in the front row.”

Katara winced. “I-”

“You can’t. I know.”

“You- I- Mai, what are you doing out here?”

“Tell me why you were hiding in the back. Tell me why you tried to leave.”

Katara closed her eyes. “I can’t.”

“I can. You love him.”

Katara’s eyes snapped open. “I-”

“Love him,” Mai repeated. “It’s hard not to. I know.”

Katara closed her eyes again. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.”

Katara opened her eyes again, gaped at the other woman.

The corner of Mai’s mouth twitched upward in the closest thing to a smile Katara had ever seen on her face. “Do you really think I want to be Fire Lady?”

“You’re nobility. You’ve known Zuko since you were kids. You’ve been together for so long…”

“Too long,” Mai countered easily. “Our respective experiences during the war changed us. We aren’t the kids we were when we got together. If we get married today… we’ll rip each other and this nation apart. You think I don’t know how miserable we’ll make each other?”

“Then why?” The question burst from Katara desperately.

“Because Zuko is young and peace is still tenuous. People correlate marriage with stability, no matter how stupid that notion is.”

“You don’t believe in marriage?”

Mai shrugged in lieu of an answer.

Over the other woman’s shoulder, Katara saw Aang step into the hall and tensed.

Mai heaved a sigh. “Who is it?”

“Aang.”

Mai turned slightly and beckoned the Avatar to them.

Aang approached cautiously. “Everything okay?”

“I’m calling the wedding off,” Mai answered.

“What?!” Katara and Aang screeched.

Mai shrugged. “At the very least, I’m not participating in it.”

“You’re the bride! You have to participate!” Katara protested.

Aang looked thoughtful. “Why?”

Mai rolled her eyes. “Because despite popular belief, I love my country, and I’m not the queen it needs.”

Katara threw her hand in the air. “What about everything you just said about stability?”

“I said marriage illustrates stability. I didn’t say it had to be  _ my  _ marriage.”

Aang nodded slowly. “Actually, marriage to another nation might do more to promote peace and stability at this point.”

Mai inclined her head. “Precisely. And it wouldn’t hurt if she was a bender.”

Katara and Aang both opened their mouths to protest.

Mai held her hand up to cut them off. “It’s a fact. It doesn’t hurt my feelings. Regardless… there really should still be a wedding today. But it won’t be mine.”

“Whose then?” Zuko’s voice chimed from behind Aang.

Katara jumped. She hadn’t even noticed him exiting the sanctuary.

Zuko pressed on. “And do I get a say in this?”

“No,” Aang and Mai answered at once.

Katara studied her feet, unable to look at Zuko.

Mai’s smirk could be heard in her voice. “Maybe you can convince the Beifong girl.”

“I’d rather marry a badgermole!” Toph called from the still open doorway.

Katara looked up and saw her hovering just in the hall, Sokka, Suki, and Iroh close behind her, a Kyoshi warriors lining the opening behind them, preventing anyone else from coming into hearing range. 

“Nephew, is all well?” Iroh asked.

Zuko threw his hands up. “Good question. According to Mai, she’s not marrying me, but I’m still getting married today. To a bender. Preferably a noble from another nation. But I don’t get a say in it. That sound about right?”

Mai nodded. “Yeah. That about sums it up.”

Iroh tilted his head thoughtfully. “The Lady Katara has consented to wed you, then?”

“What?!” Katara screeched. “Woah! Hold on! Why am I getting dragged into this?!”

Iroh shrugged. “You are arguably the most powerful water bender in the world, my lady, and the last bender of the Southern Water Tribe. Also the only daughter of the Southern Water Tribe’s chief, and a known friend and ally of the Avatar. You are the most logical choice.”

Katara’s fists clenched. “I will  _ not _ get married because it’s logical. I have sacrificed enough of my life for duty, and love will not be added to that list.”

“No one’s asking you to sacrifice love,” Mai chided softly.

Katara looked at her sharply.

“The same reason you were running is why he looked like he was facing the executioner up on that dias.”

Katara’s gaze shifted to Zuko before she could stop it.

His expression was confused, terrified, and… hopeful? He reached for her.

She surprised herself by letting him grab her hand and tug her close.

He used his free hand to tilt her face up toward his. “You think if you married me you’d be sacrificing love?”

Katara shrugged, feeling utterly helpless.

Zuko huffed out a breath, near to literal fuming. “Agni, Katara… how could you think… I… Spirits, I’ve never loved anyone more, so unless you don’t love me…”


End file.
